Nonlinear optics of microstructure fibers

Microstructure fibers have opened a new phase in nonlinear optics. Due to their unique properties, fibers of this type radically enhance all the basic nonlinear-optical phenomena, offering new strategies for frequency conversion, spectral transformation, and control of ultrashort laser pulses. These fibers allow supercontinuum radiation to be efficiently generated using nano- and subnanojoule femtosecond pulses. Here, we analyze the physical mechanisms behind the enhancement of nonlinear-optical interactions of ultrashort pulses in microstructure and hollow photonic-crystal fibers and discuss applications of microstructure fibers for highly efficient supercontinuum generation and frequency conversion of femtosecond laser pulses.